Photo by Jilbert Ebrahimi on Unsplash
Hi, my name is Benjamin Groff, and if this is the first post you’re even reading from me (which I wouldn’t mind) let me introduce myself.
I’ve been in the music business for over 25 years, mostly as a music publisher at BMG and EMI (for 10 years) and Kobalt Music for 10 years, where I opened the 1st U.S. office, signing and working with over 100 + hit songwriters and artists such as: The Lumineers, Ryan Tedder & One Republic, Grimes, Big Freedia, Kelly Clarkson, Tiesto, SOPHIE, Cut Copy, TOKiMONSTA to Grammy hit writers like Greg Kurstin, Savan Kotecha, Ariel Rechtshaid, etc. I’ve also been a musician since I was 13, went to Berklee College of Music as a dual major in songwriting and performance, wrote some songs on the charts yada yada.
Simply put, I’ve dedicated my life to the pursuit of amazing music. So with that intro and context in mind, the question of the day – which you might be wondering as well is…
Why?
Why does music suck so hard right now?
And for your poignant question, I’ve got 10 answers for you below. And p.s. I also have a counter argument post called “Why Music is So Great Right Now” which you can read here (for those that don’t believe what I have to say is true and just might have their feelings hurt).
And look – am I upset that music sucks so bad right now? Yeah. I am.
SNL
As a music publisher and label owner – I’m literally obsessed with finding new talent – and let me tell you – the new icons of today, in my opinion, are slim and far and in between and maybe non existent.
I mean who – is the next David Bowie, James Brown, Prince, Van Halen, Joni Mitchell, Notorious B.I.G., U2, etc.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
At this point – sadly, there’s no one in my opinion.
Now, this post is probably going to upset some people.
Great! And some people are going to watch this and think I’m some lame, jaded music person. And you know what – that’s fine by me. They’re probably right (the jaded part LOL).
And before we get started feel free to check out more in the menu for items like online music courses, to get my free book and/or drop by my A&R resource / music filter / label www.WeAreTheGuard.com
So, let’s get started on why music sucks so hard right now.
#1 Technology is in the Hands of Everyone (and Yes, for music, I think that’s actually a bad thing)
Here’s the thing – today – a $500,000 studio can exist on your laptop for about $500.
However, in the “golden era” of music (which for our purposes we’re going to refer to as the 1960s, 70s, and 80s), you needed a key record label to bankroll you.
Just to step into the studio was major bucks. You had to pay for expensive studio time, gear, musicians, producers, mixers, engineers and more.
Now – the labels back in the day were actually GREAT at being the initial filters for music and quality. For all the hoopla on how creatively stifling or evil major record labels have been – they were actually awesome at opening or closing the door for those that were qualified – in all genres.
Yes! They were the F I L T E R S!
You had execs and A&R people who were skilled and qualified, often with accumulated decades of experience who would say “Yes – you are awesome – here’s a couple hundred thousand dollars, let’s make this record. No – let’s make this career.”
Smokey Robinson? Yup! The Police? Yes! Bruce Springsteen? Yes! Otis Redding? Yes! Trent Reznor, David Bowie… Hell yeah! Someone who’s just “really good” and knows how to use an app? Fuck No!
Compare that landscape to today, where as I mentioned, technology has put music creation literally in the hands of anyone.
For $500 you can get a home studio that’s 1000x times more cost effective and powerful than a recording studio 30 years ago.
Today – you just need a Chromebook, Fruity Loops software, a Splice pack, an interface and a mic – and you’re in business. Make a beat and a really “dope” song, upload it to Soundcloud and the DSPs and take your shot.
Now, while that might sound great for music “creators” – it’s terrible and the wrong environment, in my opinion for new classics to be made AND it’s bad for us consumers.
Why?
Well, I’ll tell you.
But I think it’s a big reason why – no new classics are being made. It’s just, the bar and level of quality has taken a serious nose dive.
Keep in mind with the technology in the hands of literally everyone – we’ve gone from about 75,000 key new music releases per year, say in the year 2000 to today, where there’s 200,000 new music releases – per week! That’s not an exaggeration.
I mean – Let’s do a serious side by side comparison of the two different landscapes of these eras.
We can use the 60s, 70s or 80s as examples.
Pick a year from any of those time frames and you get amazing music, icons and legends – compare to say – those amazing classics of oh … 2019??
Yeah, right.
In the 60s or 70s – you had to be a serious musician, spending probably 10 years practicing your ass off just to get in the zone of being good – JUST to be taken seriously and just to be able to have an entry point to be in the room.
Today It takes limited talent to sound “pretty good.”
In today’s era, anybody can (yes, I’m going to say this) unfortunately make music and have access to free tools, vocal plugins, melodyne, free beats, etc…and essentially sound “really pretty good!”
I mean do you remember that Masterclass commercial with Deadmau5 – yeah, the one where he says “this is the death knell of EDM production – and proceeds to take his one index finger – press down on a midi controller and a whole beat, bass line and track comes up pre programmed? Someone gets to say “I wrote that” aka I pushed that one (literally “one”) key button.
Yes, this is where we’ve gotten to today.
Anyone can press that button. Literally anyone.
On top of that, literally anyone can upload these new “masterpieces” to Spotify, iTunes, YouTube or whatever.
And hey – maybe that person in their bedroom studio might be the next Prince … I want to believe that.
But you know what – we’re at a disadvantage today of this happening – which leads me to point #2.
#2 Zero Label Development for New Artists
In the golden era of music 30-60 years ago – labels would actually develop recording artists.
That’s right!
Labels were in it for the long haul and knew that it might take up 4 album cycles, 4 touring cycles, hundreds of thousands of dollars, a team of people to see if they might have the next icon. That’s what happened with Bruce Springsteen. 4 albums even before he had his 1st hit and breakthrough.
In the year 2020 + Labels – no longer do that.
Labels today essentially follow data research reports.
So, if your song (no matter how good or average or bad it is) starts gaining some traction on Spotify or showing up in a viral chart, the labels are going to offer you a deal and try to throw some proverbial “gasoline” on the spark your song created.
Often – and I know this for virtually a fact – a lot of these offers and emails are robo generated.
For the most part – (and I’m emphasizing “for the most part”) artists today have no chops nor incentive to have them. I’m saying this also in context with having been honored to be in Prince’s personal presence for a chunk of time in Minneapolis. Prince – from what I could tell – was relentless as far as his craft was concerned – always (I mean ALWAYS) writing, recording, practicing, performing, etc.
And hey – maybe that artist is indeed going to be the next legend of our time. But I don’t think so.
I mean the labels and the artists of today – personally, I just don’t think I want to put in the time, the money nor the effort.
#3 No 10,000 Hours Invested from New Artists
For the most part – artists today have no chops nor incentive to have them.
Let’s take a look at history.
In 1976, someone like Prince (or anyone of that era) had to seriously shed, practice, refine their craft and put in their obsessive, Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours, even before setting foot in a recording studio.
And for those of you who don’t know – 10,000 hours is the general barometer for the amount of time it takes to become an expert.
You see, in the “golden era” of music we’ve been talking about, you had to be a serious musician. It didn’t matter what genre of music – you had to play your instrument or sing with a level of skill wayyyy beyond just “very good.”
In other words, are you willing to practice 4-5 hours a day for 5 years straight just and only just to hold your own and be at a starting point to have an entry ticket to be “in the room!’
That’s right! You would play dive bars, coffee houses and anyplace that would have you and/or your band for years and years – you developed and honed your skills like a stealth ninja.
You needed to have serious skills as a musician – because by playing an instrument (yes, shock and awe actually being able to play an instrument) is the only way something could get recorded!
Every band / artist was known also as a serious musician.
In Fleetwood Mac there was Lindsey Buckingham, in the Motown house band you had the best players in the world (we’re looking at you, James Jamerson, to name just one genius) and if you were a singer/songwriter be it Elton John or Joni Mitchell or Stevie Wonder, it was a given that you were an incredible solid, skilled musician.
Let’s compare that today, where in 2020 + you’re literally shocked and amazed when someone can even play an instrument much less sing competently.
Like literally, people will look at you like you’re some type of alien or wizard from another dimension.
You might not believe it – but today, the process of getting music into the computer – often is not even played but literally “drawn” into the computer via a programmer.
Let me ask you – if you’re an artist – are you practicing or putting in 6-12+ hours a day into your craft? Every. Day. Weekends included. (HINT: These hours are excluding social media.)
Princess Bride
The bar has been exponentially lowered. It’s sad.
#4 Today’s New Music Role Models Pretty Much Suck
If you were a young artist 40-50 years ago – you would be compelled and inspired to write a song as good as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Carole King, Leonard Cohen, Irving Berlin, Stevie Wonder, Queen, Otis Redding, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, etc. That’s where the bar was if you were to be taken seriously.
Today – if you want to be the next big, singer songwriter, as an example … you might be looking / listening
